David

The Fourth in the Series on Old Testament Heroes

By Ed Winkler

June 15, 2008

Text: 2 Samuel 6:12-22

[12] And it was told King David, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; [13] and when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. [14] And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. [15] So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the horn. [16] As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. [17] And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place, inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. [18] And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts, [19] and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people departed, each to his house. [20] And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' maids, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!" [21] And David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me above your father, and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD -- and I will make merry before the LORD. [22] I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your eyes; but by the maids of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor." (Revised Standard Version)

With the exception of Jesus, David has probably been the subject of more art, music, and novels than any other character in the Bible. Perhaps the most famous sculpture in the world is Michelangelo’s “David.” At least five movies have been made about him and he is portrayed in countless others. In classical music, there is an oratorio about him, and even contemporary singer/songwriter, Leonard Cohen, refers to episodes in his life in one of his songs.

Perhaps what makes David so popular is that there is something of David in everyone. He was a warrior and a poet. He was celebrated as an innocent youth and as a wise king. He was a shepherd and a builder of an empire. He was, as the Bible says, a man after God’s own heart and he was a notorious sinner. David lived life with passion and commitment.

Here’s how we get to David’s story. After the Israelites escaped from Egypt, they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. When they finally entered Canaan, the Promised Land, they found that the people who lived there didn’t welcome them with open arms. The Israelites were almost continuously at war with their neighbors—sounds contemporary doesn’t it? After many years of strife, the people said to the prophet Samuel, “give us a king like other nations.” There’s an old saying that you should be careful about what you ask for. The Israelites wanted a king and they got a king, but their new king caused a lot of problems. The king was named Saul. He was a great warrior, but he was also a tormented man. He had the symptoms of pretty severe mental illness.

The Bible has several stories about how David entered the picture. In one of those stories, Saul’s servants suggested that Saul send for David, who played his lyre for Saul. David’s music calmed the torment in Saul. In another story, God was fed up with Saul. So God sent the prophet Samuel to David’s father, Jesse, to look for a successor to the king. Jesse paraded his seven oldest sons before Samuel. None of them fit the bill. Samuel asked Jesse, “Do you have any other sons?”

“Well, there’s the squirt David, who’s tending the sheep.”

“Go get him.”

So Jesse sent for his youngest son, David, the shepherd. When Samuel saw David, Lord told him that David was the one. Samuel anointed him on the spot, a sign of God’s favor.

The story most of us know involves Philistines and a giant named Goliath. Goliath challenged the Israelites to send out their best fighter and the two of them would settle the conflict. All of the Israelite soldiers looked at the giant and thought better of volunteering for certain death. Young David came to the front lines to bring food to his older brothers. When he heard the challenge, he volunteered to fight Goliath. In a comic scene, Saul tried to put his armor on David, but it was too large and David couldn’t move. So David went out to meet Goliath armed only with a slingshot and five stones. Everyone knows how this story ended. David killed Goliath with the slingshot, and the Philistines fled in terror. Yet even this story is shrouded in mystery. A later book in the Old Testament said that someone else killed Goliath.

In some way, David came to Saul’s attention, and Saul knew a hero when he saw one. He made David a commander over his army and gave him his daughter, Michal, to be his wife. David was successful as a warrior—so successful that he became more popular than Saul. It’s always dangerous to be more popular than the king, especially a mentally ill king. Saul tried several times to kill David, but David always managed to escape. One time, David escaped because Saul’s son, Jonathan, warned him of Saul’s plot to kill him.

David gathered a band of followers and fled to the wilderness. For a while, he was even a mercenary for the hated Philistines, although they didn’t trust him enough to have him fight the Israelites. David showed how honorable he was several times. Twice he could have killed Saul, but didn’t and refused to let his followers kill him. Despite Saul’s efforts to kill David, David remained loyal to Saul. When Saul was eventually killed in battle with the Philistines, David mourned for him.

After Saul’s death, David became the king. What a king he was. He conquered a town that belonged to another tribe and made it his capital. That town, of course, is Jerusalem. He brought the Ark of the Covenant—the sacred container holding the Ten Commandments—to Jerusalem. When the ark arrived in Jerusalem, David danced wildly before the ark, much to the disgust of his wife, Michal. God was not disgusted with David. God made a convent with David that his kingdom would be established forever. David went on to build an empire that included many of the surrounding nations. In all, David was king for forty years—forty years of prosperity and expansion for the nation of Israel.

The Bible is brutally honest. The Bible shows David in all his glory as a king and warrior. The Bible celebrates David as a musician and poet. The Bible also shows David’s shortcomings. David stole Bathsheba, another man’s wife, and arranged for Bathsheba’s husband to be killed on the battlefield. David married Bathsheba, but the marriage had its triumphs and tragedies. One son died shortly after birth. Another led a rebel army against David and died in battle.

Jews celebrate David as the most famous king in Israel’s history. Muslims consider David a prophet. We Christians celebrate that Jesus is a descendant of David’s. Many people consider him to be the author of the Psalms, although that claim, like many involving David, is often disputed.

David is notable because he was so great, he accomplished so much, and he was so human. David lived life with passion and commitment. He was unafraid to show his emotions. The story of him dancing before the Ark of the Covenant is a wonderful example of someone fully showing their love for the Lord. Sometimes, we men tend to hide our emotions. Not David. When the ark came to Jerusalem, he danced with all his might. He danced in such an uninhibited way that he embarrassed his wife—not the last man to ever embarrass his wife with his dancing.

David, despite his terrible sin with Bathsheba, remained dedicated to God, which reminds us of a couple of things. The first thing is that our dedication to God doesn’t mean that we will be perfect. We are still sinners. Sin remains in even the best relationship with God. We are still sinners because we are still human. David’s story also reminds us of the comforting fact that God forgives our sins. David was committed to the Lord above all other things, and the Lord was committed to David. Despite his gravest sin, the Lord never gave up on David. Despite our sins, the Lord never gives up on us. The Lord used David despite his imperfections and sins. The Lord seeks to use us despite our imperfections and sins.

A writer I quote often, Eugene Peterson, says that God works with the raw materials of our lives as God finds us. David’s life disabuses us of the idea that perfection is part of the job description of Christ’s followers. We don’t become perfect and then wait for God to use us. God uses us as we are, even while trying to make us better. To become a follower of Christ is not to become perfect; it is to become available to God. To be a follower of Christ is to commit to God, to God’s work and to God’s kingdom.

Trying to be perfect has its own problems. It can make us harsh and judgmental. It can also blind us to our own sins. David committed some terrible sins, but he also knew how to confess and come before the Lord with humility. David’s story reminds us of our need to see our sins honestly and to confess to God. Our prayers should always contain a confession of our sins.

David’s commitment to the Lord tells us that he knew how to keep first things first. How often do we find ourselves overcommitted? We are pulled in a hundred different directions with work, family, hobbies, and church. How often do we fix the problem by cutting back on the Lord’s work? David stayed committed to the Lord despite all that he did or went through.

Today is Fathers’ Day. Children don’t need perfect fathers. Children need fathers who are committed and loving. Children need fathers who are involved in their lives. Children need to see their fathers live life with passion and commitment, even with imperfections. Children need fathers who are a lot like David: unafraid to show emotion, committed to the Lord, and committed to their children.

The church needs people like David who unafraid to show emotion, committed to the Lord, committed to their church, committed to their community, and committed to changing the world. The world needs people like David who are after God’s own heart. The world needs people like David who are willing to be the raw material with which the Lord works, people who are willing to be led to be leaders for God.

© 2008 by Ed Winkler